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Updated: Nov 27, 2025

Self-assembly of Complex Two-dimensional Shapes from Single-stranded DNA Tiles
Published on: May 8, 2015
Two-Dimensional (2D) or Quasi-2D Superstructures from DNA-Coated Colloidal Particles
Mingzhu Liu1, Xiaolong Zheng1, Veronica Grebe1
1Molecular Design Institute, Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA.
Abstract:
This contribution describes the synthesis of colloidal di-patch particles functionalized with DNA on the patches and their assembly into colloidal superstructures via cooperative depletion and DNA-mediated interactions. The assembly into flower-like Kagome, brick-wall like monolayer, orthogonal packed single or double layers, wrinkled monolayer, and colloidal honeycomb superstructures can be controlled by tuning the particles' patch sizes and assembly conditions. Based on these experimental results, we generate an empirical phase diagram. The principles revealed by the phase diagram provide guidance in the design of two-dimensional (2D) materials with desired superstructures. Our strategy might be translatable to the assembly of three-dimensional (3D) colloidal structures.
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